All's Fair In Love, War, and Duel Monsters
by e.t.e.r.n.i.t.i.e.s.E.C.H.O
Summary: When Yuka's father leaves and her mother decides to move to Japan, she feels as though her life is ending. Is there someone at a certain Domino High who can change her mind? YJ, YK . humor, slight jou angst chappie 7 is up!
1. Chapter 1

She stood stiffly behind the door in her room, listening to the heated shouts rising from the living room in waves that battered her broken spirit again and again. The only comfort she could find was in her memories, in remembering a better time. But nothing lasts. The girl's name was Yuka, the same as her mother. She had always resented that name, wanting only to become what her mother was not. They were much too different, and she cared little for reminders of the fact that their only commonality was in a name. Her mother was a businesswoman, strict and directly to the point. She cared little for the bonds of family and more for advancing in life and in her career. Yuka shook her head, wondering for what seemed to be the hundredth time what two people as different as her parents had ever seen in each other. Wondering how they had ever thought they could make it work. The arguing never ceased. Small issues would swell and swell until they threatened to wash her away like a wave which goes unseen until it crashes around you and carries you to your death. Yuka chided herself softly for her bitterness, for sounding so morbid, until she leaned in closer and began to fully comprehend the situation. This was no small issue. It seemed her mother had been offered a promotion, on the condition that she move to Japan to continue her work there. But that couldn't be right. They would never have to move to a completely different country, would they? No, she shook her head again. After all, her mother always got her way. The only way Yuka could make herself feel better was simply to convince herself that this wasn't what her mother really wanted. But no, fooling yourself never does you any good. She sighed, crossing over to her bed and sitting down. Yuka slumped over, laying her head in her hands to think. She knew her mother would win this argument, as well as she had won the others. She just couldn't imagine a life without her friends, her home, and perhaps this time she would be without her family as well. No, of course not. They would always be together. True, they had their differences, but they were a family, and nothing could break that. Still, she wished that she could stay in her home with her father. Then perhaps her mother would see reason. Yuka's face slowly crumpled, and she swung her feet onto the bed and curled up in a tiny ball. Her mother always expected so much of her.

Why can't she see that I'm just me, and not the person she wants me to be? Why am I never good enough? she replayed the thought over and over in her mind, hating herself for being so childish, for pitying herself. A lone tear slipped from her eyes and slid slowly down her cheek to fall unnoticed on the blankets. She lay there silently until she fell asleep.

Yuka woke early the next morning, and trudged blearily out to the kitchen for cereal, passing her parents room on the way down the hall. She glanced inside and saw her father standing inside stiffly facing the bed. She took another step, and it echoed through the silent house. Her father started, and spread his arms wide as if trying to hide something. Yuka leaned further inside, curious as to what he might be doing. He began to shuffle around something in front of him, just out of sight, shoulders shaking slightly.

"Dad? Is something wrong?" Yuka asked him, suddenly worried. She crossed the room to stand next to him, and froze suddenly at the sight of a suitcase and clothes strewn across the bed. He sighed and looked at her with such sadness it seemed his heart would break.

"Dad... Dad, why do you have a suitcase?" she whispered.

"Sweetie...I'm... so sorry... but I have to leave," his voice shook as it threatened to break.

"Why? Where are you going? You'll be right back, right? ...Dad? Dad!" he said nothing, still gazing at her sadly. "No... you can't leave me alone! Why are you doing this!" she screamed, eyes wide, flailing her hands. She grabbed the clothes from the suitcase and wildly began hurling them across the room. Make him stay. Anything at all to make him stay. At that moment her mother stepped firmly into the room, heels clacking against the floor. She took in the sight of her husband's helplessness and her daughter's hysteria and simply stood watching.

"Mom! Why is Dad leaving? Make him stop, Mom!" Yuka screamed hysterically.

"I'm sorry, Sweetie, but it's for the best. For all of us." She stared coldly at Yuka's father. He nodded and stood, suitcase clutched so tightly in his hand that his knuckles turned white, and began to shuffle towards the door. Yuka ran after him screaming, but he simply continued down the stairs to the car.

"Dad, please come back! Don't leave! PLEASE DAD!" She reached him and grabbed his coat, digging her heels into the floor and holding on to him as though for dear life. He attempted to weakly tug himself free of her grasp, but she refused to let go. Yuka sobbed and clutched at him as he finally managed to pull himself free. Shamelessly, she followed, once more attempting to drag him back into the house. He finally managed to open the door and step outside, crossing to the car and throwing his suitcase in the back seat.

"No! _No!_ NO!" she shrieked uncontrollably at her helplessness, bent over with the force of screaming the words as loudly as she could. She beat her fists on the car, watching her father, facing straight forward. He wouldn't even look at her. No, he was too ashamed to look at her.

"Don't leave us," she whispered softly, voice ragged and painful, but she didn't notice. Her entire being was focused on the man in front of her who sat sagging in his seat, tears streaming down his face.

"I love you, Yuka. I'm sorry," he whispered, before starting the engine and pulling out of the driveway. Yuka screamed once more, sprinting after the car as quickly as she could manage. Then she slowed to a run, then a jog, and finally an exhausted walk as her body would no longer carry her. She watched in helpless rage as the car became a speck on the horizon, and then it was gone.

She trudged slowly back towards the house, barely realizing where her feet were carrying her. Yuka heard the click-clack click-clack of heels behind her as her mother caught up with her.

"Come inside, honey, you'll catch a cold," she said calmly.

"Come inside... because I'll catch a cold? DAD JUST LEFT US BECAUSE OF YOU AND YOU'RE WORRIED ABOUT A COLD!" Yuka screamed once more, every fiber of her being filled with the deepest hatred for the woman standing before her, oblivious to her pain. Her mother merely looked at her with surprise, before her "it was for the best" expression snapped firmly back onto her face. Yuka felt hot tears pouring down her face, contorted in fury.

"You know what? This is _it_! I can't do this any more! I don't care_what_ you say! I am **not moving**!" she raged, before running down the street once more. Yuka took refuge in the bushes by the park nearby, scrunched up as she felt the branches scratching at her tear-stained face and hands, wanting to stay here forever and wanting to leave.

One month later, Yuka find herself standing outside, gazing up at her new home in Japan. She couldn't believe she hadn't been able to prevent her mother from dragging her here. It wasn't enough that she had destroyed her entire life, she had to drag Yuka away from her home and her friends to a place that as stranger and unknown to her as if it had been in another world. Ever since her dad had left, Yuka had felt emotionless. She silently walked past her mother into her new room, and sighed. It was fine, but it wasn't her old room, her old house. She seemed to exist in a different reality, waking, sleeping, just watching the window for any sign of her father. The days crawled by slowly but still Yuka remained the same. It was late one night when she was sitting on her bed watching the ceiling when she heard a noise in the hall.

Yuka's mother's heels announced her presence before she actually stepped into the room. Yuka pointedly turned away from her to look out the window.

"Yuka," her mother sighed sadly," are you still not talking to me?"

It had been an entire week since Yuka had moved into the new house, and she still hadn't spoken a word. Her mother glanced pointedly at the unpacked boxes laying by the desk.

"Sweetie... I think it's time you start going to school. I found a very nice school called Domino High School that would be just perfect for you, and it's only a few miles away!" she smiled cheerfully.

Yuka looked at her and nodded dully, before finally managing to speak.

"I don't want to go to school. I'd rather not go anywhere."

Her mother sighed once more and left the room. Yuka's silence had been hard on her, because she was usually so sweet and cheerful. It's true she hadn't meant to hurt her daughter, but the relationship with her and Yuka's father just hadn't been working. It would have only gotten worse in time. Still, seeing her daughter in that condition made her very sad.

"I don't want to go to school, but I can't shut myself up forever," Yuka thought to herself, trying to make a decision and not knowing what," if Dad comes back, we still wouldn't be a happy family. I guess I'll have to cheer up, and maybe if I just take baby steps with this, I'll be all right eventually."

Finally, she heaved herself out of bed and took slow, unsteady steps down the hall. Yuka found her mother in the kitchen reading the newspaper. She hadn't noticed before, but her mother's eyes were rimmed darkly, and she looked so tired. Yuka sighed.

"I'll go to Domino, Mom, but I don't promise I'll like it."


	2. Chapter 2

"…I'll go to Domino, Mom, but I don't promise I'll like it," Yuka slowly formed the words, mouth stiff from disuse. Her eyes slowly crept upwards to find her mother's, unsure of what her reaction would be. Yuka was still angry, but rather hoped that her mother would worry less. It seemed the image of a helpless woman with dark-rimmed eyes weakly supporting a coffee cup was burned onto her memory, blinding her with guilt whenever she was about to add worries to her mother's generous load. Yuka was relieved to see the corners of her mother's mouth turn upwards slightly, sighing in relief. It was much more than her mother had ever hoped for.

A week later, Yuka found herself standing outside Domino High School in a tiny pink and blue uniform. She thought back to when the uniform had arrived, shocked at the size…or lack thereof… of it. She vaguely recalled throwing a sort of tantrum. Yuka hated the sound of the word and constantly denied it, but her behavior this far along in life had been rather…prude. Damn, she hated that word. Prude. It stuck to her tongue and she could never seen to pull it off when it was already spoken. It tasted bitter. But being seen in a skirt that was barely two inches long set her 'prude-ness' off, and she wildly protested. Nobody would force her into that hideous thing, no they would not. Sadly, they had. Actually, her mother had. Yuka moaned pathetically, realizing how ironic it was. She had refused to wear a short skirt, while her mother had practically forced her to wear this practically nonexistent outfit in public. Well, she supposed if she would be going to this school, it couldn't be helped. Unless she ordered a boy's uniform… oh, the possibilities. But no, that would be rather excessive.

Yuka stood still and watched as her classmates passed by, unknown faces like masks. She half expected them to throw off the masks and become her friends, as if it had all been a bad joke that had not been funny at all. And yet, they continued to pass by, masks firmly in place it seemed. She wondered vaguely why she had agreed to this in the first place. Surely it was better than staring out the window hour after hour, wrapped in a blanket and humming softly to herself. However, it couldn't be that much better. The rest of the day's activities would be fairly predictable, she thought bitterly. She would sit by herself during her classes, but lunch would be more exciting. Because at lunch, she would sit OUTSIDE by herself! So much more adventurous. Yuka sighed rather dramatically, before staking out the exact tree she would be sitting under. It seemed fairly nice, so smiling slightly to herself, she joined the throng of people making their way through the heavy double doors.

Her day was basically as predicted. Her first class was math, which was bad enough in itself without having to endure it alone. Bored quickly with the numbers that littered the overhead and whiteboard, Yuka began glancing around at her classmates. Surely they would be slightly more interesting to observe. She made rather a game of it. Trying to judge a person's personality by watching them when they weren't aware of it. She saw three people, a girl and two boys, in the back of the class holding a stack of red cards and whispering softly, smiling. One of them looked rather dopey, his laughter becoming all too audible and drawing the attention of the teacher.

"Mister Jonouchi!" the man leered," you seem to have found something very amusing to disrupt my class with. Would you like to share it with the rest of us?"

The boy had the grace to look sheepish. "Um… no, sorry sir."

"Actually," interrupted the other boy with him, who had brown hair which came together into a silly point," he was just saying he thinks the new girl is cute." He jerked his head toward Yuka, earning scattered laughter from the class and a fierce glare from the teacher.

"Honda!" the boy who was called Jonouchi bellowed, punching his friend in the shoulder.

"What? I was just saying… I mean that is what you were talking about!" the brunette defended himself.

Yuka stared at them both, blushing slightly and rather irritated. This was a perfect way to start at a new school. Being completely mocked and humiliated by someone she didn't even know. Wonderful.

"Well, Mr. Honda," Yuka said smoothly," you can tell Mr. Jonouchi that I don't find him to be 'cute' in the least." The brunette began to laugh then, tears pouring down his face in an effort to remain firmly in his seat. "Jou… I think you just got TOLD!"

None of them seemed to notice their teacher, whose face had slowly turned so red it could fry eggs. Yuka noticed however, but while she was nervously eying her teacher, she had failed to notice the approving nod she received from another brown-haired boy who was clacking away at a laptop a few seats away. He glanced up at their teacher, before once more returning his attention to his laptop, face illuminated slightly in the glow of the machine.

The teacher finally snapped. "OUT OF MY CLASS! YOU, HONDA, AND YOU, JONOUCHI! NOW!" he bellowed ferociously, as the boys exited the room, one holding onto the walls for support while he continued to laugh uproariously, the other shuffling along with his head down looking quite embarrassed. Well, that's the least he could do, Yuka thought to herself. She had rather lied, however. She didn't exactly think the blonde boy was NOT cute… she shook her head roughly. What on earth was she thinking? Once more feeling boredom tug at her, she looked around the class again, hoping this time things wouldn't turn out so disastrously. She noticed various people scratching at the corners of their desks and writing notes to their friends, some yawning, some falling asleep on their desks, and precious few blearily holding their heads up and their eyes open in a noble effort to learn the material. Except one person. How strange. He seemed absolutely focused on the material, but not on the same material as anybody else. This boy appeared to have opened a laptop on his desk and was quickly typing at it with a look of utmost concentration, absolutely undisturbed by the previous events in the class, it seemed. He seemed absolutely expressionless. Yuka felt an element of curiosity about this strange person, but she was never one to ask nosy questions, especially to someone she had never spoken to before. And so she remained silent, once more dragging her eyes to the front of the room as she had gotten rather bored with her little game. Agonizing and tedious minutes later, the bell had rang from somewhere in the depths of the school, announcing her freedom for a few precious minutes.

As expected, the rest of the classes dragged on without event. When lunch finally arrived Yuka was utterly exhausted. Boredom can do that to a person. She grabbed her lunch and made her way to the doors, relieved at the notion of getting some fresh air into her lungs. Yuka began slowly strolling across the fresh, green grass until she was nearly to her tree. Suddenly her vision of eating happily in solitude was shattered as she heard a rather familiar, obnoxious laugh coming from the near vicinity of her tree. Her tree! She walked cautiously around the circumference of it until her worst suspicions were confirmed. There sat the blonde and the brunette and their friend, along with a few others.

"Oh, no," Yuka groaned," not you two again." She didn't mean to be unfriendly, but these people seemed to be rather obnoxious. And that was definitely something she could do without at the moment.

The brunette seemed to notice her; the blonde one was too busy eating everything in sight to look up. Yuka cringed inwardly.

"Hey, look! It's new girl again," he observed, sending her a friendly smile. Yuka looked down again, thinking very carefully. They seemed harmless enough, and she was certainly in no position to pass up friends… but perhaps these weren't the people she wanted to make friends with. And then…'oh screw it' was the only thought on her mind, unintelligent though it may have seemed. Yuka knew she had no friends. Now was a good time to start.

"Yes, it's me. But my name isn't 'new girl,' it's Yuka. Nice to meet you…erm… both," she said as politely as possible, once more eying the blonde who appeared to have not eaten in weeks judging from the way he was consuming everyone else's lunch as well as his own.

"Jou!" the brunette rapped his friend on the head with his knuckles rather harder than necessary," will you stop eating long enough to introduce yourself!" he grinned sheepishly at Yuka.

The blonde looked up and swallowed hard, wiping his mouth on his wrist and smiling.

"Hi… I'm Katsuya Jonouchi but you can call me Jou," he said, sounding quite friendly and holding his hand out. Yuka reluctantly shook it and smiled, before being introduced to their other friends. A short boy named Yugi, the girl who was called Anzu, and a boy with peculiar white hair called Bakura. Well, perhaps the day hasn't turned out so badly after all, she thought carefully, but who knows what will happen tomorrow…


	3. Chapter 3

As it happened, the 'morrow did hold more than the day, and it certainly was an interesting day at that. It was early one morning when Yuka was woken unceremoniously by a wild beeping and commotion emanating from her alarm clock. Yuka turned in her bed and curled up tighter, pushing the blankets about her ears. It was too early… damn piece of junk.

"Ugh… where's my hammer?" she muttered, glaring at the evil contraption from across the room. She dramatically heaved herself out of bed and aimed a good kick at it, but, on account of her bleariness, missed and hit the desk instead.

"OW!" Yuka shrieked fiercely, limping to a chair and cradling her injured foot. She glared with a burning hatred at the brightly flashing red numbers, which did not seem to understand that they had already ruined her morning. Caput.

"This is all your fault," she accused it scathingly, throwing the thing one last, baleful glance, before her mother's voice broke the tension. This was shameful. Stared down by her own alarm clock.

"Yuka, time to get up! You're going to be late!" she heard her mother call from the general direction of the kitchen.

Yuka sighed and slowly stood, before hobbling around her room as quickly as she could to gather her schoolbooks. She was quite surprised with how quickly she had managed to get ready, and was halfway down the hall before she realized she was still sporting purple pajamas. Just my luck, Yuka thought bitterly, resigned to her fate of having a bad morning. She returned to her room and hastily threw on her uniform, giving her hair a quick brush and examining her reflection critically in the mirror. It really wasn't that bad at all, although she still wasn't too pleased about the uniform.

"Morning, mom," Yuka smiled sunnily as she clattered down the stairs, swinging her bag over her shoulder and heading towards the door.

"Wait, Yuka, what about breakfast!" her mother called after her.

"No time! I'm going to be late as it is!" she said, before hurrying out the door. However, it seemed to be a beautiful morning; blue sky, warm sun, the usual, and Yuka found herself in increasingly less of a hurry to arrive at school. What an interesting neighborhood she had walked into… the houses were enormous! Her pace slowed, and she strolled along the sidewalk sighing happily, troubles temporarily forgotten. Suddenly, the silence was broken by a shout.

"Dammit, Mokuba, get back here!" howled a voice in the distance. Yuka could hear hysterical laughter from across the street but the high bushes blocked the scene. She looked up the street and noticed a limo parked by the side of a long, winding driveway with an ornate metal gate that led to the largest mansion on the whole street. Curiosity getting the better of her, she crossed the street and pulled some branches aside to see what was going on. A tall boy in a white trench coat was flailing his arms wildly and running in circles after a smaller boy with long dark hair, who was holding a notebook aloft.

"I got Seto's journal, I got Seto's journal!" the smaller boy chanted, cackling shamelessly

"Mokuba!" the older boy howled once more," you give that back!"

Yuka stared incredulously at the sight before her, but at last she couldn't hold it in any more and began to laugh out loud at the ridiculous sight. Quickly, she sidestepped away from the bushes before she was seen. Still laughing to herself, Yuka once more felt the tug of curiosity, and crossed to the limo to examine it.

"Wow! This is really cool," she said quietly, hands pressed against the car as she craned to see inside despite the glare of the sun.

"May I help you?" a cold voice demanded from just above her. Yuka spun

around and found herself face-to-face with the strange Journal boy. For some reason, he looked oddly familiar, but she dismissed this thought in order to focus on the problem at hand.

"I apologize, I was only looking," she said rather uneasily, under the intense stare of this strange person. That was the moment when the younger boy caught up with the other, and they both stood watching her. Yuka felt the need to ease the tension, and so caught the younger's eye and glanced meaningfully at the notebook clamped firmly in the elder boy's grasp, before both of them burst into helpless giggles.

Startled at the abrupt shattering of the silence, the older boy seemed rather irritated. "What is so funny?" he demanded, causing both of them to laugh all the more. The tall boy simply g-l-a-r-e-d.

"Nothing," Yuka informed him," absolutely nothing." She forced on a straight face and willed it to stay that way. Suddenly, the smaller boy began to speak.

"Seto, look at her uniform! I bet she goes to the same school as you! Let's give her a ride! A ride! A ride!" he began to chant once more, hopping up and down enthusiastically.

"Oh, do you also go to Domino?" Yuka asked him, surprised. Then suddenly, it dawned on her. It was the same boy from her math class who had been typing at his laptop during the lesson. How strange…

"I do," he said, drawing himself up rather grandly," my name… is Seto Kaiba."

"Oh, it's nice to meet you, Kaiba-san. My name is Yuka Ishida," she said pleasantly.

The boy stared at her for a moment before regaining his dignity. "Don't tell me that you have never heard of Seto Kaiba previously to this morning!" he seemed rather put out.

"I am sorry, Kaiba-san, but I haven't. I just moved to Japan, you see," Yuka informed him, rather amused

"Oh, well I suppose that would be the reason," he said, straightening up and brightening, though his eyes remained cool and utterly unconcerned.

"Seto, you're going to be late!" the younger boy said hurriedly, rolling up and down on the balls of his feet in anxiety.

"Yes, Mokuba, I know. Where in all hells did that blasted driver go!" he demanded icily.

Yuka looked around her in an attempt to spot said limo driver, and saw noone until her eyes focused on a bit of movement a long way up the road. There she strained to focus on a middle-aged man in a dark suit and shades skipping down the road humming "Tiptoe through the tulips."

"Erm…," she said uncertainly," perhaps he needs a day off." Mokuba giggled to himself.

"Can you drive?" the sharp voice cut in.

"Excuse me?" Yuka said, rather confused," can't you?"  
There was a long pause, and then: "No, I can not." the tall boy said stiffly, as though it pained him greatly to admit to such a thing.  
"Allright, then I'll drive," Yuka announced suddenly, sliding into the driver's seat and grabbing the keys from the dasch. She wasn't quite sure what she thought of Seto Kaiba, but what she did know was that she would be late if she couldn't get to school by car. How convenient this was. Yuka heard the click of a handle and the smaller boy was sitting behind her, bouncing in his seat excitedly. The taller boy seemed to be standing impatiently outside, and it took Yuka a moment to figure out why.

"Oh for heaven's sake!" she exclaimed, exasperated," open the door yourself, why don't you!"

She felt eyes of sculpted ice boring twin holes in the back of her head before the handle once more clicked, and someone seated themselves gracefully inside. All was silent, and then Yuka could have sworn she heard a tiny 'harumph' from somewhere behind her.

Yuka ignored it pointedly and eyed the empty seat beside her.

"What, noone's sitting up front? Am I your chauffeur now?"

"Yes," a bored voice stated simply from the back seat.

Yuka sighed, before remembering that they had to get to school or, car or no car, they would be very late. She smiled at her good fortune then, and drove down the road a short way, picking up the deranged driver so he could drive Mokuba to his own school, before setting off towards her second day at Domino.


	4. Chapter 4

Hello everyone! I'm sorry I haven't written an author's note yet! I'm used to publishing on a different website where there's a space provided before you publish it to the site to write, so I completely forgot to bore you all with my idle prattle before the story started! I don't have an outline for this story yet, at least not a final one, so if you have any suggestions or thoughts on where you want the story to go, let me know! also, I am thinking of starting another fic at the same time with two characters that are from yugioh (as opposed to yugioh characters and a character like yuka, of my own creation). **shrugs, and dances around throwing cookies and seto plushies** If you have preferences for who the two main characters of that should be, also be sure to message/review. Thanks a buncha! 

Oh yes, here's a key:

" " dialogue

' ' Yuka's thoughts

I'm sorry! I was having writer's block and this chapter isn't very good… sorry! **cries in a hole**

Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh… if I did I would have patented Seto plushies! **starts dancing and throwing plushies again**

It was early in the morning, and the sun was shining brightly, glinting off the hubcabs of a certain long black limo making it's way rather quickly through the winding streets. Inside sat a girl of 16, who was at that precise moment attempting to drive, pull up her hair, and hum rather cheerily all at the same time. It was then that an irritated voice sounded from somewhere near the passenger's seat.

"Stop that incessant humming at once!" commanded a steely voice, which belonged to a very grumpy looking young man.

"Hmf?" Yuka asked, choking on the hair tie she was holding on to with her mouth, seeing as she had no hands free at the moment. The owner of the voice seemed rather unconcerned.

"The humming! It is driving me absolutely mad! Bad enough that you bully me into sitting in the front seat. I! Seto Kaiba! In the front seat of a car! It's shameful!" he moaned.

Yuka had been attempting throughout his short monologue to refrain from choking once more on her hair tie, but as his speech concluded she began to laugh helplessly at his dramatic behavior.

"Come now, Mr. Kaiba, don't be such a drama queen," she said, attempting to sound quite serious, but she could not keep the laughter out of her voice.

"I, a…Drama Queen!" he shuddered at the sound of the word in his mouth, and thundered, "don't' even presume to suggest such a thing!"

Yuka sighed. 'There he goes again,' she thought, feeling rather amused, but decided to let his remark slide. Who knew how much more he could take before he erupted. Sitting back to enjoy the drive once more, the two of them sat in silence until they pulled into the Domino parking lot.

"Well, we're here," Yuka said finally.  
"Yes, so I see." He opened his door and stepped out, striding switftly towards the school. Yuka grabbed her backpack and the keys and ran after him.  
"Wait just a minute, Mr. Kaiba! No, that sounds ridiculous. I'll call you Kaiba-kun," Yuka said, catching up with him.  
"Kaiba…kun?" he asked, as though he had never heard a more atrocious name in his life.  
"Look here, you may call me Seto, or Kaiba, but refrain from using such an atrocious word in public," he told her quite frankly.  
"Okay then, Kaiba," she said, not wanting to give anyone the wrong idea at having dropped the honorific so quickly," you almost forgot the keys to your limo!"  
"Keep them."

Huh? What?

"Why?" Yuka asked rather suspiciously.

"Because you're my chauffeur. You said it yourself. I expect you outside waiting by the car promptly after the school day is over. You are to drive me home, do you understand?"

"Now wait just a minute! I never agreed to do anything of the sort! I mean, honestly, do you have to order me around like that? If you just asked me to drive you home, I'd be happy to do it." Yuka said accusingly.

He sighed dramatically, as though just realizing something. "If you want me to pay you, that can be arranged," he stated matter-of-factly.  
"You don't have to hire me! I already told you, you can just ask for favors! That's what friends do, right?" she smiled, happy at having made another one.  
"Friends...? I don't have friends. Besides, you sound like… Tea." he shuddered visibly.  
"Who on earth is that?"  
"Never mind. Just someone unpleasant."  
"Oh," Yuka said quietly, rather confused.  
"Anyway," she continued," you still need a ride, and I haven't agreed to anything yet. Go on, ask me if I'll help you out."  
He grimaced.  
"I suppose there is no other alternative. Very well, Miss… Yuka, was it? Would you...urk...please... drive me home after school?"  
"Nope," she said jovially.  
"Excuse me?" he stared in disbelief.  
"Kidding, kidding!" Yuka assured him hurriedly," come on, it was just a joke."  
He looked far from amused, cold eyes boring into her skull.  
"Okay, okay, sorry!" 'Jeez, this guy…! He needs to lighten up a little! And now, as his sole friend, it's my responsibility to help him do that!'

From outside, they could heard the distant ring of a bell resounding from inside the school.

'Oh hell! I'm going to be late!' Yuka threw her bag over her shoulder and took off across the lot to her math class, skidding into the classroom just as the second bell rang. She smiled. Right on time.

By her third class of the day, Yuka was hoping to make friends in all of her classes so she wouldn't have to sit alone. She glanced around her history room, hoping to see someone she recognized, anyone at all. Her eyes swept the room and came to a rest on the short boy who had been sitting outside with Jonouchi and Honda the day before. 'Yugi, I think his name is…'

"Miss Ishida! Over here!" Yuka saw that Yugi had spotted her and was smiling and waving wildly. She smiled back and crossed the room, sitting down by him and dumping her bag on the floor. She didn't know this boy very well, but he seemed like a very nice person, and if he thought they were friends then she would take it.  
"So," Yugi said conversationally," how are you holding out?"  
"Oh, things are going okay. There's a lot of interesting people at this school." Yuka suddenly noticed the bright red cards he held in his hand. They were the same as the ones Jonouchi and Honda had had the day before. "What are those cards for?" she asked him, curious.  
Yugi lit up. "These are Duel Monsters cards!"

Yuka looked blank.

"It's a game," he explained, "that you play against an opponent. You can play 1 on 1, or have teams face each other. It's gotten really popular. You know, Jou and Honda play too! And Bakura!"

"How do you play?" she asked him.

For the next half an hour, Yugi carefully explained the rules and finer points of the game while Yuka listened attentively. This sounded quite interesting.

"Would you like me to teach you some strategy? You could start playing, too, Miss Ishida!" he said excitedly.

"Yes, thank you! I needed a new hobby, anyway. I'm hoping this is something I'll be able to get into," she smiled," and please call me Yuka-san. It's really nice to have made such good friends already!" she paused, "speaking of which, I think I made another friend today!"  
"Oh, that's good," Yugi smiled," who is it?"  
"His name is Seto Kaiba... he's a rather strange person. His driver went mental on the way here so I drove us to school."  
Yugi stared for a minute. Yuka was beginning to wonder if something was wrong, when he finally spoke again.  
"Kaiba? I didn't know you knew him," he said slowly.  
"Is something wrong, Yugi?" Yuka was rather worried, having heard uncertainty in his voice.  
He smiled. "No, everything's great, Yuka-san. I'm glad you made a new friend! I'm just surprised, that's all. Kaiba doesn't seem to like the idea of friends very well."  
Yuka cheered up after being assured all was well.  
"I didn't think so either… but really-"  
BAM! They looked up to see their history teacher, having just slammed a text book down on Yuka's desk loudly, glaring at them.

"Is there something you would like to tell the whole class, Ishida?" her teacher asked sharply.

"No sir, I'm sorry," Yuka said politely.  
"Good. Don't let it happen again."

When the bell rang to announce the end of class, Yuka and Yugi, having Science together as well, began walking towards their next class. Yugi still seemed to be rather preoccupied, and Yuka wondered what he was thinking about.  
"Hey, Yugi, what's on your mind?" she asked him curiously.

"Nothing, really. It's just, you should really watch out for Kaiba. He's--"  
"I'm what?" a steely voice sounded behind them. Yuka

jumped and slowly turned around. Looming up behind the two of them was none other than Seto Kaiba.  
Yugi looked rather intimidated, so she decided it would be best to stand up for him.

"Looming over us isn't as intimidating as you think, Kaiba," she smirked in amusement. She wasn't going to back down that easily.

"Looming?" he frowned," I can't help but loom. My height greatly exceeds your own," he pointed out, seeming quite bored with the conversation.

"Now, what was the runt saying about me?"  
"Nothing," Yuka smiled," I was just telling Yugi how we are friends now. I like having a lot of people to talk to and be friends with, especially since I just moved here and I don't know anyone very well," she said smoothly.

"I see," he said coldly.

"Yes, I'm glad, but we had all better get to class or we'll be late!"  
"I'm not particularly concerned," he said casually.  
"Oh, well speak for yourself. I'd rather avoid detention if I can," she said. "Come on Yugi, let's get to class." Yuka began walking down the hall swiftly, and then turned and called after him. "See you after school!"


	5. Chapter 5

Hello again, everybody! Here I am again with the 5th chapter of All's Fair! Whew—this one took a long time to write. Minor bits of angst in this chappie! This is where I hit the end of the outline I had so I had to start brainstorming for ideas. This is really hard because I really have no idea where I want to go with this fic. Thank you all for your reviews! I appreciate it so much! It makes me all warm and fuzzy that you all took time to tell me whatcha thought! Hooray for you! …In fact I still need to edit this story so this installment of rambling is really just me stalling for time.. erm… kidding! **shifty eyes** (sigh) well, on to the editing. I hope you enjoy this chappie! Yay! It's the longest one yet! And please please review!

Oh yes! One final thing! Thanks to trueyamigirlfriend for noticing this – I made a messup! Yuka mentions moving to Japan from a completely different country, but seems to have no difficulty speaking Japanese. I forgot to mention that she is half Japanese and learned to speak both English and Japanese as a child. I'm so sorry! If I can find an appropriate place, I'll mention this in the actual story. Anyhow, thanks again!

Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh! I don't own starbucks either! Sometimes life just isn't fair!… **cries in a corner** oh well, have a Seto plushie anyway. **starts dancing and throwing seto plushies _again_**

Chapter 5 

"…_see you after school!" Yuka called after him._

"Yuka-san, come on! We'll be late!" she looked up to see Yugi bouncing up and down wringing his hands worriedly

"All right, Yugi, let's go."

Sadly, arriving in class on time was just not meant to be, for as the pair made their way towards their science class, they heard the shouts of two familiar voices issuing from an empty classroom down a side hall. Yuka and Yugi exchanged nervous glances before continuing on past their open classroom door and down that very hall. Walking as silently as she was able, Yuka crept up to the door, slightly ajar, and peeked inside.

"…it's just stupid! You can do something _else_!"

"I told ya, I don't gotta choice! He wants it now! There ain't nothin' else ta do!" Jonouchi Katsuya raised his voice in frustration above that of Honda's, pacing back and forth and tugging helplessly at his golden tresses with one hand while gesticulating fiercely with the other as he spoke.

"Look, Jou, you've done some pretty messed up shit for that bastard but this is different.

S'alot easier to get caught, you hear me? We'll figure out another way!" Honda grabbed Jou's shoulders to stop his pacing and stared him down fiercely. Jou glared back, unfazed.

"Look, Hond' I appreciate what yer doin' an' all, but ya gotta let me handle th' old man myself."

Just then, Yuka felt a hand on her shoulder and spun around, only to find Yuki staring helplessly at the pair inside, still arguing.

"Yuka…san," he began shakily, "what do you suppose Jou's father is making him do?" he looked down.

"I don't know… I don't know Jou as well as you do and it really isn't my business… but whatever it is, it doesn't sound good," she whispered back uncertainly.

SLAM! The door flew open with the force of an explosion, and Yuka's eyes shot up to meet brown ones, blazing with fury.

"What the hell—" he began, before stopping himself, "…oh. It's you… and Yugi? What are you two doin' 'ere?"

Jonouchi extended them a hand and helped them to their feet before swinging the door open to admit them and following them inside.

"Hey, Honda, look who's 'ere…" he said tiredly.

"Um…hey," Honda said, sounding rather confused as to why they were there.

Yuka felt she should give them some sort of explanation. "We honestly didn't mean to eavesdrop… I'm very sorry. It's just that, we heard your voices down the hall from class, and we wanted to make sure you were all right, that's all," she said softly. Yugi nodded beside her in agreement.

"S'okay… don't worry about it," Jou told them, sighing, and sat at a desk resting his head on one arm.

"Jou… are you okay?" Yugi asked, voicing his concern for his friend, "I know it's not really my business, but I heard you talking to Honda before, and…" he trailed off, unsure of how to finish.

"Naw," Jou lifted his head and smiled weakly at Yugi, "really Yug, I'm great."

Yugi seemed satisfied with this, and smiled back at Jou before turning to Yuka. "Okay, well it seems like everything is all right here, Yuka-san. Should we go back to class now?"

Yuka didn't answer him, because at the moment she was lost in her own thoughts. She had been rather surprised that Yugi was fooled so easily by such a fake smile. A smile that had never extended to Jonouchi's eyes. She knew that smile so well because she had worn it so often recently. She decided she would have to talk to Jonouchi about it later, but she didn't want to worry Yugi, so Yuka just smiled and nodded.

"Bye then," she said sunnily to Jou and Honda, and Yugi waved wildly before they once more stepped out into the hall and made their way towards their class 15 minutes late.

--- -

It wasn't until lunchtime later that day that Yuka had a chance to speak to Jonouchi about the conversation she had overheard. The whole group was once more sitting outside under a large oak tree making lighthearted conversation when Jou stood and announced that he was going to get more lunch. Yuka waited a moment after he was out of sight to leave as well, making the excuse of having to make a phone call. She set off in the direction he had been walking in, and wasn't particularly surprised to find that his path didn't lead towards the cafeteria at all. Yuka sighed to herself. Her tendency to worry had turned her into a stalker of someone she certainly didn't know well enough to justify being so worried about. Oh, well. She crept along with resolve, determined to find out exactly where he was going, and if necessary to stop him from going there. She scanned the area around her, searching. Black… black… brown… gold… THERE! There was no mistaking that blinding hair, especially here in Japan. Yuka took off running after it, the unruly bob of blonde hair always ducking out of sight. She was gaining on him. Well, this was it.

"JONOUCHI!" Yuka bellowed after him.

He stopped then, looking around wildly for the source of the booming noise. Then he spotted her.

"Ishida?" he asked her, whether surprised at seeing her there or at her sudden outburst, Yuka wasn't sure.

"Yeah, it's me. Where are you going?" she asked him slyly.

"Me?" he looked around, presumably for whoever else she might have been talking to, "I…eh… I wasn't goin' anywhere. Just… takin' a walk."

"Listen, Jou, what was going on this morning? Something's not right," she said firmly, "and don't try smiling and telling me I'm wrong."

At that, he erased the beginnings of an attempt to trick her from his face. "It's nothin', really. Doesn't matter. It's just… nothin'."

Yuka didn't feel that this fully answered her questions, and decided to push for a better answer. She didn't want to see him go and do something stupid when there was something she could have done about it.

"No, it's not nothing. And I really am sorry about listening in this morning, I didn't mean to. Still, I'm not going to pretend that I didn't hear what you said. Can you tell me what's going on? What do you 'have to do'?"

"Nothin'! It's just my dad, that's all."

"What about your dad?"

He turned away from her then, and sat down in the grass, pulling his legs in and wrapping his arms around them. She couldn't really blame him for not wanting to talk to her. He didn't trust her yet.

"Jou, I'm not going to talk to anyone about anything you say to me unless you say it's okay, all right? I just want to know if there is anything I can do to help you. You can trust me." She crossed the space between them and laid a hand on his shoulder reassuringly.

He nodded slowly and turned back to face her. Yuka noticed that he was shivering slightly despite the heat of the day. "It's… my old man, y'know? He… well, he drinks a lot and gambles n' all… he lost his job a while back and spent all the money we 'ave. So 'e told me ta get a job, but none of 'em paid well enough to support his…um…habits… so I was going to…well, Honda didn't want me ta…," he trailed off.

Yuka sighed, and suddenly understood. She had seen this all the time in the States, too. She held out her hand and addressed him firmly, leaving no room for questions or arguments.

"Give it to me. All of it. Pills, joints, everything." She glared at him.

Jonouchi Katsuya stared up at her, astonished at how quickly she had pieced his predicament together. It took him a moment to stop gaping before he could speak.

"But… I…I can't. We need the money n' all," he said uncertainly.

"_You_ don't. Your father does. It's not your job to pay for a steady supply of beer and whores for that man! You're 18!"

"I'm 17," he said, smiling weakly.

"Even better!" Yuka sighed sadly. It was then that she made a quick decision. "We are going to get you out of there for long enough to get your father some sort of help."

"What!" he yelped, "help? What kind of help? What would happen to him? And where would I go?"

She sighed. There was nothing else for it. The kid was screwed without some assistance. "The kind of help to relieve him of his drinking habits. I don't know how long it will take. As far as where to go, you can't stay with anyone your father knows or he'll know exactly where you are. So… you could stay with me." She clenched her eyes shut, waiting for the shouting to begin, waiting for him to refuse her offer absolutely, to think it was ridiculous. Her eyes opened slightly, squinting at him for some sort of reaction. But… he looked as though he was considering it.

--- -

"No."

"Why?"

"Absolutely not."

"But you don't even have to do anything!"

Seto Kaiba glared at her from his perch leaning against the long black limosine. It seemed he wouldn't budge from his current frame of mind.

"I will not, under any circumstances, have my personal limo be transformed into some sort of … dog catcher's vehicle!" he exclaimed coldly, "furthermore, I would very much like to know how you thought I was going to agree to this ridiculous notion in the first place!"

"Look, Kaiba, I just need to drive to Jou's apartment for a few minutes and back to my place. That's all! I could even drop you off first!"

"Ha!" he exclaimed, "you think I would leave the care of my limo to you!"

"Better than leaving the care of your limo to your psycho-ass driver," Yuka muttered darkly.

"What was that?"

"Nothing… but why?"

He sighed with extreme irritation.

"I won't drive you anymore."

"I'll get a new driver."

"I… won't be your friend!"

"I don't need friends."

"Augh!" Yuka cried at last, throwing her arms in the air, "threatening you seems to do absolutely no good… how about if I ask you nicely?" she said, voice dripping with sarcasm.

He stared at her incredulously.

"No. I didn't think so."

Yuka glanced back towards the school to see Jou emerge from the shiny double doors and begin to walk towards the parking lot.

"Come on, Kaiba! We don't have very much time to discuss this!"

He gave her a withering look.

"Oh, stop being so angsty. It won't be so bad, I promise!" Yuka smiled, deciding that withering looks were his way of agreeing with her.

"Can I get that in writing?" he muttered to himself darkly, just as Jou stepped up to the limo, throwing his bag in the front seat and sliding in.

"Hey, this is awesome! Look! Cupholders!" he bounced up and down. Yuka could feel Seto's eyes like twin blades slashing at the back of her head, and she had to fiercely attempt to stifle a giggle.

The ride to Jou's apartment was short at the speeds Yuka was driving at, not wishing to prolong Kaiba's agony any longer than necessary. She feared incurring his wrath. They pulled over, with Jou's direction, at a small, rather grimy condo, and waited while Jou ran up the stairs. It took him less than 5 minutes to pack everything of importance in a small duffel bag and to run back down again, nearly slipping on a silvery wrapper and empty plastic cup lying at the base of the stairs. He once more tossed his bag into the car and sat down. Kaiba looked with distaste at the bit of wrapper stuck to Jou's shoe, before they set off towards the mansion. There was (surprise!) very little conversation on the way back, and the hostility in the air was so thick you could have stabbed it with a spork. At that moment, Yuka was in fact considering stabbing the two of them with sporks, because every time she tried to start a conversation, one of them killed it. A dead conversation. She sighed, and was very glad to see the mansion looming into view, meaning the end of a very awkward trip. She drove carefully up the winding path and parked the limo in the garage along with a multitude of other cars, and the three of them got out.

Abruptly, Kaiba spoke. "Will you continue to drive tomorrow, or do I need to find myself a new driver?"

"I can keep driving if you can put up with both of us being there," she said, nodding to Jou.

Kaiba and Jou grimaced simultaneously and nodded reluctantly. Yuka cracked a grin before nodding herself.

"Allright, then, we'll see you tomorrow!" she smiled happily.

"Hn," he nodded curtly, before opening the tall oak doors and stepping inside, closing them again with a ringing 'boom.' How dramatic.

On the short walk back to her house, Yuka and Jou chatted lightheartedly about everything from school to their friends and interests, and Jou told Yuka about some good hangout places. However, Yuka was silently dreading having to present Jou to her mother. 'Hey mom… guess what?' No, that would definitely not go over so well. As they reached the house and began up the walk to the door, Yuka's mind was in a frenzy. Explanations… any feasible explanation as long as it isn't the truth. She got out her house key and opened the door with a 'click.'

"Yuka? Is that you, honey?" her mother called from the living room. Uh oh. Here goes nothing.

"Yeah, mom!" she called back.

"Honey, you know, I've been thinking-" her mother stepped into the entryway, and suddenly,catching sight of Katsuya, she stopped dead in her tracks.

"Mom… this is Jonouchi Katsuya. He's going to be staying with us for a while…"


	6. Chapter 6

Hello everyone! It's me again! We're finally on spring break, and I've just gotten back from the beach and am going up to the mountain for the weekend with some of my friends. This is going to be awesome! Anyway, bad news: my last chapter only got one review! I'm not one of those authors who gets all angry if they don't get X number of reviews, but only one? That's pathetic! Lol

For the one review that I got, thankee, Isis the Sphynx! Extra plushies and cookies for you!

So, since my self esteem was severely damaged and I considered discontinuing the story (don't worry, I won't… yet fiercely glares at readers hehe) I'm going to ask all of you to please, please review! The only way for it to be worth my time is for it to be worth someone else's time to bother to read, and if it's not then it's no longer worth my time (cuz this takes a looong time to write, and it takes a while for you guys to read too, I bet!) so please review so I'll know it's worth your time to read and then I will be all happy and my self esteem won't deteriorate! Thanks oodles of noodles! I love you guys! dances and throws random baked goods and plushies

And now, on to the story!

**Chapter 6**

_Yuka's mother, upon seeing Katsuya, stopped dead in her tracks._

"_Mom…this is Jonouchi Katsuya. He's going to be staying with us for a while…"_

Yuka felt the words like a desert sandstorm, hurling them out with a force as if needing to be rid of them as quickly as possible. And, like a sandstorm, they left her mouth dry. She swallowed loudly, glancing over at Jonouchi, who looked rather perplexed.

'_Oh… right. I forgot to tell him my mom's not expecting him,'_ she thought suddenly. Wait… this was no time for dwelling on that. Her mother! Focus! What was she doing? Why hadn't she said anything? The silence was pressing in on Yuka from all sides until she felt she would burst with anxiety. No matter her mother's reaction, Jonouchi would have to stay with them. But how could she convince her mother of this without revealing Jou's secret? She glanced at her mother and suddenly met her wide-eyed expression head on. That was _not _a good sign.

Her mother clasped a hand to her heart. "Yuka…what… who is this boy? What is he doing here, and what on earth do you mean 'he'll be staying with us'! He'll do nothing of the sort until I get some sort of explanation, if even then!" She seemed to have regained her composure somewhat, and glared expectantly at Yuka, leaning forward menacingly with her hands on her hips. Yuka sighed. What a wonderful first impression the both of them must have by now. One, a (to her mother) nameless boy showing up with her daughter and expecting to live with them, and the other a short, fierce and furious woman raging at her daughter and pointing fingers at someone who was definitely not to blame. Wonderful.

"Well, mom, you see…" Yuka trailed off, trying desperately to think of a reasonable explanation.

"Class project!" Jou yelped suddenly. Yuka's mother rounded on him with her glare, and he flinched slightly from her gaze before straightening and continuing in a more normal tone. "It's a class project, right? We got 'ssigned partners, and we gotta observe each otha's lives n' stuff, an' write a report. Kinda a Day in the Life typa thing," he finished proudly. Yuka sighed in relief. At last, some sort of explanation.

"That's right, mom," she continued, "and since Jou lives in an apartment with his father, he suggested that we stay here, because he thought you would be more comfortable with that," she smiled at her mother disarmingly, already seeing some of her mother's ferocity slip away. Still, she looked rather uncertain.

"Well, I don't know… I suppose if it is for school then nothing can be done," she sighed, rather defeated, "I suppose we'll have to find a place for you to sleep. Yuka can tidy up the guest room for you, dear," she nodded towards Yuka and smiled tiredly at Jou before heading off to the closet down the hall to get clean sheets.

Yuka and Jou simultaneously let out the breath they had been holding, giving each other silent high-fives before Yuka began to walk in the direction of the guest room, motioning Jou to follow.

It wasn't until they were inside the guest room with the door half-way closed (so as not to arouse her mother's suspicions) that they felt it would be safe to have a conversation.

Yuka flopped down onto the bed and sighed loudly.

"I don't know about you, Jou, but I think I almost had a heart attack," she grinned in triumph, "and that was some good thinking, about the school project. My grades are more of my mother's top priority than mine, so anything to do with school… well, she wouldn't dare say no. Imagine… the horror of a B!" she laughed.

Jou smiled slightly before once again looking thoughtful.

"We still gotta problem, though," he said, " 'cuz how long would a school project last? N' don't those 7-step program things take months? I dunno how we'd explain that to yer mom… an'… I can't just leave meh' dad by himself like dat… with people I don't even know…" he suddenly looked guilty.

Yuka wasn't quite sure what to say. She sat quietly for a moment, trying to imagine the world from Jou's view, before realizing that she, too, had lost her father, even if it had been for different reasons. Jou's may not have been as good to him as hers was, but he was still Jou's family. She didn't like the idea of making someone else feel as empty as she had felt herself. She suddenly had her own doubts about sending Jonouchi's father away...

But no, her father would probably never come back. Jou's would just be gone temporarily, so that both of their lives would be better. Yuka smiled to herself and nodded vaguely, before turning to Jou. But the look on his face made her start, and she found herself unable to speak. For it was like looking in a mirror… he looked just as she had.

The wind blowing gently from the open window stirred his hair into his eyes, yet he made no move to brush it aside. His gaze drifted out the window, looking but not really seeing anything there. Watching for something that didn't exist… would never come. Yuka knew the feeling all too well, and found herself unable to tear her gaze from his face, a perfect picture of sadness. Yet the silence must be shattered.

"Jou…," she began uncertainly," I know that you blame yourself… but none of this is your fault. Please believe that. And.. you might feel guilty about leaving your father, but he'll be taken care of… he'll get help so that his life will be better, and yours too. It's not forever… just long enough for him to get back some of the life he lost. He'll have to do it… for both of you. You just have to wait, that's all," she smiled at him. Jou wrenched his gaze from the window and turned to her. Yuka saw that some of the doubt that had clouded his face had cleared away. He said nothing for a moment, and she stood up to tidy the room, when he finally spoke.

"…okay. I trust you," he said it so softly she barely heard, yet she heard it all the same.

But then… as Jou had pointed out some time before, he could only stay with her so long before her mother would get suspicious. But where on earth could he stay? She didn't really have any friends, and besides, she would hate to ask such a big favor as that. Still… what else could she do? Yuka thought carefully. It would have to be someone with a large house, lots of extra room. That way she wouldn't feel as if he would be imposing so much. Let's see.. a friend… with a big house. Then it hit her. Of course.

The image of a tall, haughty figure with chestnut brown hair and eyes as cold as ice flashed before her vision. Yuka almost began to laugh, it would be so perfect! And yet… the idea of the two of them living together was almost comical. She could almost hear the conversation in her head. She imagined it would go something like this:

"_So, Kaiba, I don't want my mother to get suspicious of Jou living with me. So here's an idea! He can stay with you! Ha ha!"_

"…"

"_Erm… ha…ha"_

"_Security, remove this person from the premises at once. If you catch her within sight of the mansion again, you have permission to open fire."_

Yuka sighed once more. No, that would never do. She would have to present it in a different way. She needed some sort of plan…


	7. Chapter 7

Hey everybody! I'm back after a long break. I have been suffering from writers block! I was putting off updating this so I wouldn't have to deal with it but.. I couldn't put it off forever! And so! drum roll it's chapter 7!

Once again, only one review. sighs dramatically oh well

scolds readers no seto plushies for you this time! I might consider throwing them around again if this chappie gets more reviews than the last one!

Thanks for reading!

**Chapter 7**

_Yuka sighed once more. No, that would never do. She would have to present it in a different way…she needed some sort of plan…_

And that was how, after many days spent locked in her room and pondering carefully, save for having to get up to drive Jou, Kaiba and herself to school (with much of Jou glaring and Kaiba smirking) Yuka finally found herself walking out the front door and strolling down the street. But she wasn't headed in just any direction. Oh, no! She cackled to herself evilly. All those hours of pondering would finally be put to good use. It was time… to execute the plan. Of course, upon opening the door to her room she had been practically attacked by Jou, who had all sorts of questions ranging from where the bathroom was to the fact that he had forgotten to pack his toothbrush, but Yuka had brushed him aside purposefully and told him to wait until she got back. _If_ she ever got back… which, knowing Kaiba, was a definite _if_. Yuka shivered slightly. She would hardly be surprised if her master plan blew up in her face.

Walking in silence for another 20 minutes with only her thoughts for company, Yuka finally turned the corner onto the street she knew all too well. She glanced across the street, and her eyes met the very bushes through which she had first seen the proud Seto Kaiba. Running after his brother trying madly to recapture his precious diary. Erm…journal. Mwaha.

That was also the first time she had met Mokuba…which brought her thoughts up to speed. This was the first part of her task. She had to somehow get into Kaiba mansion unnoticed and find Mokuba without arousing the attention of Kaiba. Which was easier said than done, considering the security measures the older Kaiba took with his younger brother. Yuka was beginning to wish she had taken that into consideration when she first thought of The Plan. Oh shit.

But wait… was that a chorus of _giggles_ she heard coming from the grounds? Yuka tried to imagine Kaiba or his black-suit-clad security guards frolicking about the lawn giggling, and found it rather unlikely. No… there was only one person in the whole of Kaiba mansion who giggled… and that one person was none other than Mokuba Kaiba. She was glad to have found him. After much consideration, since Mokuba would be most likely to help her, she decided to tell him Jou's story. She felt that she could trust the younger Kaiba to keep it a secret, and now that she had found him she could tell him what had happened.

Cackling yet again, Yuka slowly crept towards the bushes on either side of the high fence that guarded the front of the long driveway. Walls… erm… bushes… wouldn't stop her! But this seemed rather tricky. Kaiba must have planned it that way. The bushes were too thick to climb through, and yet too sparse to climb over. How masterful… how devious. Yuka was thoroughly irked. And yet, perhaps a simple plan would do. One that she would execute immediately, so as to not waste time. Yuka breathed deeply, and braced herself.

"MOKUBAAAAA!" she bellowed. The giggling ceased, and she heard the slow patter of footsteps moving towards her across the grass opposite those hateful bushes. She had half a mind to go home and get the weed whacker… but no, there were more important things to be done at the moment. Perhaps another time.

"Who's there?" Mokuba's voice echoed across the distance uncertainly. Yuka decided he had been kidnapped one too many times for him to be entirely sure he was safe from strange voices emanating from the bushes sinisterly. Or perhaps just loudly. It was time to announce her presence… she would simply have to do it in a way that did not draw attention to herself.

"It's me, Yuka," she said quietly, attempting to poke her head through the bushes so as to converse more easily. No, the branches were too thick, and she seemed to have gotten her head lodged halfway through those damn bushes.

Oh you're smug now, but wait until I get that weed whacker, she directed the menacing thought towards the branches before giving a final heave and wrenching her head free.

The giggling resumed. "Oh, I know you! You're my brother's new chauffeur… but what exactly are you trying to do to the bushes? No, never mind. Was there something you needed?" Yuka couldn't see him, but she heard the innocent curiosity that seemed to be a constant with Mokuba. Which was precisely why she needed to enlist his help. The kid seemed to have a big heart, and Yuka was sure he would want to help Jou out. She had also noticed that for the most part, Mokuba got what he wanted. Not even Seto could refuse the younger Kaiba when he had that expression… how to describe it? Like an adorable, fluffy little stuffed animal. Yes, Mokuba would be sure to help her.

"Well, actually, there is something I could use some help with," she said.

"Allright," she could hear the laughter in his voice, "but do you want to come in? I wouldn't want you to injure yourself any further on the shrubs my brother had planted."

It just figured! It just figured that it was Kaiba who initiated the planting of those horrid things. Shrubs? Shrubs! The word hardly did them justice. Ah, well. She had better answer Mokuba before he thought she'd gone.

"Yes, that would be fine."

Once again, Yuka heard the footsteps receding, until a minute later the enormous iron gates swung open noiselessly to admit her. She walked towards them uncertainly, before stepping through and surveying the Kaiba mansion once more. It really was quite impressive. It was surrounded by huge, sweeping lawns with perfectly green grass that billowed in waves with each new gust of wind. Willow trees dotted the grounds, their branches twirling and sighing softly. And the mansion itself was a sight to behold. It was three stories high, which magesticly carved pillars supporting the balcony in front. Beautiful, mahogany double doors graced the front of the house, with a wraparound deck so as to provide the inhabitants with a full view of the grounds.

Yuka's thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of the small raven-haired boy. He bounded over to her across the lawn, eyes dancing with laughter.

"Hi, Yuka-chan!" he chirped, finally reaching her and bouncing up and down in place. Yuka smiled.

"Hey Mokuba. How've you been?"

He grinned at her sunnily. "I'm great! What did you want to talk about?"

"It's a long story," he then looked at her expectantly, plopping down on the grass to listen "Allright, I'll sit down too. Well, here goes. I came to tell you about a problem one of my friends is having, and to see if you can help him. I'm sorry to ask you for such a big favor, but I don't know who else…" she trailed off.

"It's allright, Yuka-chan, I'll do what I can to help! Can you tell me the story?"

She nodded. "Okay, thank you. The friend I was referring to was Katsuya Jonouchi. Do you know him?"

"Yeah, I know Jou!" Mokuba told her.

"Okay, that's good. I'm trusting you to keep this confidential, okay? Well, Jou's been having… problems… at home. His father is an unemployed alcoholic, and he's been forcing Jou to sell… illegal substances… in order to buy drinks for himself. Jou can barely put aside enough money for them to pay the rent for the tiny apartment they live in, already. I'm sure you know that what Mr. Jonouchi is making Jou do is completely illegal and if Jou was caught he would go to jail. When I found out about it, I didn't want to be too nosy, but I was worried about him. I think the best way to deal with the problem is to get Mr. Jonouchi help for his problem. 7-step programs and AA meetings and such, you know? If he really tried, he could break his habit… but it would be a difficult process and if he was to stay in a rehabilitation facility until he had recovered, Jou would need somewhere to stay. Right now, he's staying at my house, but we couldn't explain the situation to my mother, because he doesn't want anyone to know that would take his father away from him. I couldn't say for sure, but my mother might make one of those it's-for-the-best decisions, and ruin everything. We had to make up a story about him staying with us for a school project, but that will only last a couple weeks before she gets suspicious. I tried to think of anywhere else he could possibly stay and… I really hate asking this… it's such a huge favor… but I thought since you have so much extra room in the mansion… maybe, he could…stay with you?" she squeaked out the last part, feeling suddenly very guilty to ask for so much.

Yuka glanced at Mokuba to try to judge his reaction to her request. He looked rather thoughtful.

"I don't know, Yuka-chan. I think it's a good idea but… my brother… well he and Jou _hate _each other. I don't know how we could ever get him to agree to it."

Yuka smiled. "Well, I did have some sort of idea… it could use some honing but we could give it a shot…"

He brightened. "All right! What did you have in mind?

Yuka opened her mouth to answer when she heard a whooshing from somewhere far behind her. She turned around to see the front doors swing open, and a tall, brown-haired figure stepped gracefully out onto the front stairs. The figure turned to examine the lawns, seemingly looking for a small figure with pitch-black hair. The tall man spotted him.

"Mokuba!" he called, and then "…who is that you're with?"

Uh oh.

It was Seto.


End file.
